Effective method for suppressing parasitic oscillations in high-gain $CO_2$ laser power amplifiers

A description is given of a new experimental method for suppressing parasitic oscillations in high-power $CO_2$ lasers. A cell with $SF_6$ and a Fabry–Perot interferometer with a base exactly equal to $84,73\mu m$ are used in this method. The $SF_6$ cell acts as a saturable absorber at the $10,6\mu m$ wavelength, whereas the Fabry–Perot interferometer suppresses parasitic oscillation at the wavelengths of 9.2, 9.6, and 10.2 $\mu m$. The advantages of the method are pointed out.